April 2021 Newsletter

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April 2021 Newsletter

Welcome to the first Newsletter for 2021 which is now available for viewing and download.

As is usual, the Newsletter will also be emailed to those people we hold details for. Anyone we don’t hold an email address for will receive a hard copy by post. We’ll also have a link on our Facebook page.

Southern Cochlear Implant Programme

April 20th

Thank you to The Lion Foundation for their recent funding support of $50,000. Thanks to their generous donation, we are able to continue to provide our services to people living with cochlear implants.We are so appreciative to everyone who has supported us so far this year, and enabled us to continue to give the gift of sound. We simply couldn't do what we do without you. If you'd like to get involved, business partnerships, personal donations or leaving a gift in your will are just some of the ways you can help. Thanks to your generous support, we can continue to make the life-changing benefits of a cochlear implant more easily attainable for anyone who could benefit from the technology. ... See MoreSee Less

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Southern Cochlear Implant Programme

April 14th

Are you prepared in case of an emergency? Whether it's a natural disaster or a power outage, having the necessary items to maintain your cochlear implants and stay connected can make a big difference in ensuring your safety and well-being.Pindrop have an excellent emergency plan guideline which provides some valuable advice on how to prepare for extreme weather events and the impact it has on our daily lives and routines. In situations like these, having an emergency kit that is specific to your needs can be extremely valuable! Make sure you have enough supplies to last for several days, including a battery-operated or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, first-aid supplies, and any medications you need. And keep important documents and equipment in a secure, easily accessible location: This could include your cochlear implant, charger, and backup batteries.Get prepared with Pindrop's guide here: pindrop.org.nz/tips/how-to-prepare-for-civil-emergencies-as-a-cochlear-implant-user/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Southern Cochlear Implant Programme

April 10th

Tairāwhiti kaumātua Stan Pardoe is an orator and the guardian of his people’s history and stories.He became deaf in his 60s but coped in his iwi’s Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations and as a trustee on farming and seafood boards by learning to lip read English and te reo Māori.Stan relied on notes from his fellow committee members, but admits it was a struggle.Thankfully, his deafness didn’t affect his ability to speak, to communicate, or to be a storyteller as that is the heart of his personality“I’ve always been an extrovert and things never get me down. My two hearing aids had limitations and the cochlear implant was a quantum leap in my hearing,” Stan says.The operation in 2017 changed Stan’s life, and his wife Molly laughs, saying it changed hers too!The key benefit for the couple has been ditching the frustration that was so dominant in their lives, plus that of their whānau and friends. They have four children, twelve mokopuna and two great-grandchildren.Statistically, Māori disproportionately suffer more from hearing loss than other New Zealanders and experience inequities of access to hearing services.Stan and Molly say older Māori men are whakamā/too embarrassed to admit their hearing is failing, or to ask for help, and they’re certainly not proactive about getting a hearing test.The couple lament that this leads to self-imposed isolation and loneliness for many older Māori.Stan is an advocate for hearing tests, let alone cochlear implants, and urges people to persist with their investigations and not be put off at the first hurdle if a diagnosis doesn’t go the way you thought. Perseverance and persistence are key, he says.You can read more of Stan's story in SCIP's commemorative book Hear our stories – Celebrating 20 years. The book can be found via our website at www.scip.co.nz/hear-our-stories, and paper copies of the book are available from the programme at $20 inc GST by emailing: [email protected]. ... See MoreSee Less

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